66 FIIS^E BEl^T GKASS. 



useful species which afford a sweet and varied herb- 

 age so p;rateful to stock of all kinds. 



Red Top as a mixture with other grasses is nec- 

 essary,- but only in small quantities, on land capable 

 of producing better grasses. On eoil, where the 

 more valuable grasses will not suceeed as already 

 stated, it is higlily useful for the purpose of covering 

 them with vegetation. On pasture lands where Red 

 Top predominates, tlie fields must be overstocked, 

 for if allowed to grow up to seed, the cattle refuse it, 

 which is sufficient evidence that it is not so much 

 relished by stock as some of the other pasture- 

 grasses. This running into extremes in the cultiva- 

 tion of Red Top and the now very popular Rhode 

 Island Bent both of which I consider one and the 

 same grass, any difference iii their appearance being 

 produced by varieties of soils, is strikingly exempli- 

 fied in Central Park, ISTew York, where these grasses^ 

 predominate, and where in many instances they are 

 trampled over and not eaten, whereas if orchard 

 grass and many other valuable grasses were substi- 

 ted, tlie latter would be eaten with avidity. Al- 

 though it is claimed; that the Agrostis, or Bent 

 grasses thrive best in m^ist soils, yet it has beem 

 sufficiently proved that Agrostis vralgaris^ (the true 

 red top) may be sown to advantage on a variety of 

 soils. 



It would answer well to sow Red Top separately 

 on moist lands where old grass has run out, or be- 

 come mossy. On such places it would fill the soil 

 with its numerous roots and make it more passable- 

 Also on moist, undrained soils, liable to occasion- 

 ally overflow, if cut early, it has a thick bottom, and 

 makes a heavy crop of second-hand hay. 



